Report: Indy Eleven to announce its leaving NASL for USL on Wednesday

Professional soccer team Indy Eleven supporters group, the Brickyard Battalion packs the stands at every home game to cheer on the "boys in blue."
Autumn Allison / The Star

Buy Photo

The Brickyard Battalion celebrates a goal by Indy Eleven forward Justin Braun in the second half of their NASL soccer match against Puerto Rico FC Saturday, April 1, 2017, afternoon at Carroll Stadium on the campus of IUPUI.(Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Buy Photo

The Indy Eleven's future has been up in the air since U.S. Soccer didn't grant the North American Soccer League Division II status in September. The league sued the U.S. Soccer Federation and is currently awaiting word on its appeal, but it seems the Eleven aren't waiting around.

According to soccer website SocTakes, the Eleven will join the United Soccer League for the 2018 season. USL, which had played in U.S. Soccer's third tier prior to last season, was granted provisional Division II status last year. The USL has the backing of Major League Soccer, American soccer's top league.

Thank you @The_BYB best fans in soccer for your support, loyalty & patience.@IndyEleven are working very hard to make sure pro soccer & this special organization we’ve built together over past 5 years continues to prosper. We’ve some great news to share soon!!!!

Because of the uncertainty surrounding the NASL, the league announced it was canceling its spring season, which was to begin in March. The league announced Monday morning it plans to kickoff the 2018-19 season on Aug. 11. Multiple calls to the Indy Eleven for comment were not returned.

"We find ourselves in a difficult position due to the (U.S. Soccer) Federation's decision and the impact that decision has had on our players, fans, and front office members is unfortunate," NASL Interim Commissioner Rishi Sehgal said in a news release.

In September, Eleven president Jeff Belskus told IndyStar "we continue to evaluate our options" following USSF's decision to not grant NASL Division II status. In its lawsuit, the NASL says it will fold if its forced down a tier to Division III. The Eleven have consistently stated it has no intention of playing in a Division III league.

Although there are benefits to having second- or third-division status, there is no promotion/relegation in the United States, so clubs don't move up or down the leagues based on individual season performances. Second-division clubs may have advantages with advertisers and be able to lure more talented players.

SocTakes reports, "unless unexpected changes occur, Indy Eleven will play its home games at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2018" rather than IUPUI's Carroll Stadium, which it has called home since its inception in 2014.

The Eleven applied for MLS expansion, but were passed over in the latest wave of expansion, for a number of reasons, primarily the lack of forward movement regarding a new stadium.

Belskus told IndyStar after the Eleven submitted its MLS bid that Lucas Oil Stadium would be a temporary option if Indy secured MLS expansion while it awaited a stadium of its own. In 2015, the Indiana legislature turned down the Eleven's pitch for an $82 million stadium Downtown. In March, Belskus told IndyStar any new stadium deal would now be in excess of $100 million.

The Colts stadium hosted nearly 42,000 fans for an exhibition match between Chelsea and Inter Milan in 2013.

While the Eleven's MLS hopes are unlikely to materialize, the USL is seen as a much more viable league than the NASL. The Eleven's move is another massive blow for the NASL, which has been hemorrhaging teams the past two seasons. In 2017, the league shrunk from 12 teams to eight, and following this season, Edmonton left the league and San Francisco folded.

So what exactly is the United Soccer League?

The league was founded in 2010, began play in 2011 with 15 teams, and has nearly doubled in size since 2014.

Nineteen of the 28 teams in USL have affiliations with MLS clubs. Some of the USL teams are owned and operated by their MLS parent clubs, while others are affiliated with MLS teams, aiding in player development. USL clubs include nearby FC Cincinnati and Louisville City FC. Ten more teams are listed as expansion franchises for the league.